Conventional roadside newspaper delivery boxes are formed of horizontally elongated tubular sheet metal box-like construction which open horizontally towards the road, i.e., away from the building to which the newspaper is to be delivered. Such boxes are typically mounted upon metal posts driven into the ground. Hence, when a newspaper is inserted in the box, the newspaper cannot be seen except from the road, i.e, from the forward end of the box.
Various attempts have been made to provide signal devices on the newspaper boxes which will visually signal when a newspaper is within a box so that an observer from the building or house can determine the delivery of the newspaper without having to physically walk to the box and look inside. However, various types of proposed signal devices generally involved either modifying the newspaper delivery box or mechanically fastening the signal device to the box. Further, such earlier signal devices are of constructions which are relatively expensive to make and are susceptible to damage due to the elements, i.e., rain, snow, heat, etc.
By way of example of such type prior devices, the prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. to Hampden, No. 1,904,448 and Joyce 3,386,649, each illustrate signal devices of the general type involved here, but each requiring some physical fastening of the signal device to the box, including some modification of the box. Another prior art device illustrated in Bishop U.S. Pat. No. 2,553,164 illustrates a simple, easy to apply signal device but of a construction which is impractical because of relative cost and also susceptibility to damage from weathering, such as corrosion, breakage of springs, etc.
Thus, there has been a need for signal device which is extremely inexpensive, particularly since the newspaper boxes are normally provided without charge by the newspaper publishers or sellers, which can be installed on the box without any modification of the box and without any tools or skill, which can be handled and shipped with a minimum of space and packaging and which is substantially impervious to the elements.